Tape and method of making the same



June 10, 1930. M. c. DODGE TAPE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 1, 1927 Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE MILO G. DODGE, OF AUBURN NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO. COLUMBIA]! ROPE OOHPL'NY, OF AUBURN, YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TAPE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application filed. August 1, 1927. Serial No. 209,886.

This invention relates to tapes and methods of making the same.

One object of the invention is the production of tape by folding a strip of ribbon of 6 material in a peculiar and novel fashion which can be accomplished very readily so as to render it commercially practical.

While different materials may be used, such as ribbons or strips of paper, silk or other fabrics, the invention is particularly adapted for the production of paper tape, In the rope industry it has become important for the manufacturer to provide ropes with means for identifying them at any time they should be returned, and the most satisfactory results along this line have been obtained by incorporating in the rope a soft, pliant tape member extending throughout the length thereof and bearing suitable identification data, whereby any portion of the rope will contain identifying matter and such matter will remain therein for an indefinite period of time. As has been stated, paper or fabric tapes can be used for this purpose but the cost of a fabric tape is so high compared with that of a paper tape that the latter 'is preferred if it can be made so as to possess the necessary tensile strength to permit it to be run into the rope as the latter is being formed in the regular ropemaking industry. In View of this, the present invention contemplates a folding paper tape formed in such manner that the folded paper will possess the tensile strength requir'ed under the above conditions.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical lay-out of a method of making the present tape;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing in cross section one form the present tape might take;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modified form of tape made in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 4 to 6 constitute a series of views showing the different steps in the formation of the tape illustrated in Fig. 2.

One form of apparatus for folding the ribbon or strips of paper or fabric forming the present tape is shown in Fig. 1. In the preferred form of tape a plurality of ribbons of paper are utilized. For instance, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, two ribbons 10, 11 are led over creasing rolls 12 which form a crease extending longitudinally of the ribbons at a point centrally of the side edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 5. One of said ribbons, previous to being creased, is. shown in Fig. 4. These creased ribbons, which are generally V-shaped in cross section at this time, are caused to become associated with one another perferably by having the folds of one ribbon laid between the folds of the other ribbon as shown in Fig. 5, the ribbon 11 being laid between the folds of the ribbon 10 in this illustration. If desired they may be laid together as shown in Fig. 3 one fold only of one ribbon being laid between those of the other. The two ribbons are brought together as shown by means o'f a series of guide rollers 13 illustrated in Fig. 1. After the two ribbons have been thus associated with one another they pass between rollers 14 which tend to flatten. them out after which they pass over a creasing disk or roller 15 which forms a crease extending longitudinally of the two associated ribbons and centrally of the side edges of the then semi-folded ribbons. after they have been creased by roller 15, are passed between rollers 16 for the purpose of more or less pressing the multiplicity of folds together. A cross section of the ribbons, before they have been thus acted upon by creasing roller 15 and pressing roller 16, is shown in Fig. 6, while a portion of the finished tape is shown in Fig. 2..

To facilitate holding the various folds together some suitable adhesive may be applied to the material, although this is not essential so far as the present invention is concerned.

A tape formed as thus described will present substantial flat surfaces on which suitable identifying matter may be impressed if a finished tape is to be used as an identifying marker for ropes. Due to the tensile strength of a tape formed with a multiplicity of folds, it will withstand all strains that might be imposed upon it Finally, the ribbons,

while being run into a rope and, due to its strength, such a tape, even though made of paper, is capable of use in lieu of twine and other similar forms of cordage.

As has been before mentioned this peculiar folding of material, as Well as the method of'producing the fold, has been, devised for the primary purpose of enabling a comparatively low cost tape to be made that will answer all purposes of a higher priced fabric tape such as has heretofore been deemed necessary due to the strength required. Except, as expressly stated in the claims, the invention is not to be limited to paper as the identical same folds could be made in ribbons of other material, such as silk and like fabrics.

I claim:

1. A paper tape formed of a pair of ribbons of paper, each folded centrally of its side edges with thefolds of one ribbon laid between the folds of the other, the edges of one ribbon extending toward the crease in the other, and the interlaid folded ribbons folded a second time along their longitudinal centers.

2. A paper tape formed of a pair of ribbons of paper, each folded centrally of its side edges, the folds of one ribbon overlapping the folds of the otherwith the edges of one ribbon lying in the crease of the other and the overlapping folded ribbons folded a second time along a line extending centrally of their edges. I

3. The method of making paper tape which consists in folding each of two ribbons of paper longitudinally and centrally of its side edges, then introducing the folds of one ribbon between the folds of the other, and then folding the two ribbons longitudinally and centrally, of the side edges of the semi-folded material.

4. The method of making paper tape which consists in folding each of two ribbons of paper longitudinally and centrally of its side edges, then associating the two folded ribbons with each other with the folds of one ribbon overlying those of the other, and then folding the overlying thicknesses of the two ribbons along a line extending longitudinally and centrally of the edges of the overlapping thicknesses.

MILO C. DODGE. 

